A Trail of Death (and Healing)
by Robyn Maddison
Summary: There's a gap in their heads where Will is supposed to go, but they can't wake him up until Whispers isn't a threat. He needs to be dealt with so they can figure out their lives. So it's definitely a good thing that together they have enough skills and desperation to do just that.


In the end it's not that hard to destroy Whispers. Or at least, the one man they need to kill to buy them some time.

Destroy him, and the connection to Will is lost. They can wake him up, remove him from his induced coma. He's currently resting with an assumed name beside one 'Conan' in a medical facility in Germany.

With Nomi's hacking, Wolfgang's criminal past, Capheus' driving, and Sun's martial arts proficiency, sometimes Riley feels like she, Kala, and Lito are just all along for the ride. But then, whenever these thoughts occur there is a massive outpouring of love and affection. In those moments they are one, and cannot survive without Riley's depth of emotion and artistic soul, Kala's well of love and conviction, and Lito's passion and verve for life. Will, of course, is the sturdy table around which they gather. He's the desire for knowledge, the unwavering belief in them. They will be there for him, they will save him, because he has been there for them and he has saved them all.

And so they will protect him from Whispers. And save themselves. Themself? It gets confusing.

Riley fidgets in her spot on the sidewalk; she's been there for two days already establishing her presence as part of the background. She's a homeless woman, purposefully busking badly with a ratty guitar, and it surprises her not at all how easy it felt to slip on a mask of desolation and despair and hopelessness.

Until recently it hadn't been such a mask. At that she remembers Will, determination steels her spine.

As Riley sits and waits and pretends to be a character that she isn't really, thanks Lito, she feels the soothing brush of Kala's hand over her forehead.

Nomi keeps up a steady stream of words, making sure that they know where Whispers is going to be, and keeping their window of opportunity open.

The plan is simple and so hopefully manageable. There is no hacking into remote facilities, or mountaintop escapes. There are fewer things to go wrong, and they are using their strengths as a cluster on purpose. They are on the offensive this time, and it feels different than the mad dashes for escape and freedom that it's been for all of them, up until Iceland.

The plan is this: Nomi is and has been tracking Whispers movement, because they have enough information on the organization that they can do that now. Every organization has interoffice emails, department heads, budgets, and personnel files. Whispers can't access facilities without ID, or at least being known by the employees. And if he's known, then there has to be a paper trail. Or, an electronic paper trail. And if there's a trail, Nomi can trace it.

There is a sleeper car several streets over - it looks like shit and not worth a second look but it has magic under the hood - and there are keys burning a hole in a pocket of her coat. A gun sits heavy and ready in another. Sun is standing by to fight if need be, and Riley can feel Capheus' unflagging determination and cheer, he's ready to drive the get away car. Capheus, though he is an incredibly determined man well versed in the hardships of life, still seems to find the whole experience of being in a cluster one for joy. Even though they are waiting to kill a man.

And Riley? Well Riley is ready to slip away like a nondescript street woman at the first hint of unexpected trouble. So, they kill Whispers, and then flee. Subbing into Riley's body as needed. Simple. Effective.

 _"This is it, guys. He's on his way out."_ Nomi's voice is smooth and inflectionless in that distant way she gets after being so deep in her hacking zone.

 _"My turn."_ Wolfgang puts his hand on Riley's shoulder, giving a pained glance at Kala who still has her fingers curled in Riley's hair. Wolfgang looks away first, he's avoiding her. Still. But it's a problem for later, when Will is awake and they can regroup. It's also an intervention waiting to happen. Riley doesn't look up at the sad sigh that bows Kala's shoulders. That girl is seriously beautiful inside and out and how Wolfgang can be such an ass -

Wolfgang taps her shoulder harder.

Riley lets go to Wolfgang and becomes a ghost in her own body.

Whispers is vulnerable as he leaves the building. Riley can see him glance at his watch in frustration; his vehicle is just down the block where it was caught at an abnormally long traffic light. He must stand with his bodyguards for almost a minute. Nomi... Riley recognizes the hacktivist's plan in the traffic light delay, and feels a swell of pride from the woman.

 _"We've got this, guys."_ Nomi sounds sure and excited and everyone can feel Neets rubbing their shoulders. Nomi has absolutely no regrets about planning the murder of the man behind her planned lobotomy. Her near glee at the justice is almost infectious and serves as a buffer for those who had nerves and were a bit squeamish about the idea of you know, murder. Lito and Kala are a great collective conscience.

The thought of Will, unconscious and separate from them was enough for Riley to justify their actions. She forcibly brings herself back to what is happening with her body.

Wolfgang has packed up the guitar and thrown a hood over Riley's hair, dyed dark in disguise, and he's shuffling his way to and past the group of men. Once close enough that there is a sightline to Whispers through the guards, he fumbles with the guitar case and shoots. A lot.

He doesn't miss. Whispers takes bullets to his torso and his head. It is enough that he clearly dead before he can turn around, bit of brain matter and blood giving it away. But before the body hits the ground and the guards have drawn their own weapons, Wolfgang is off. The chase is short lived, they planned this route meticulously after all, and soon Capheus is there and driving Riley's body away from the murder.

He takes her to the first drop off point, and Riley wiped down the car, switches plates, and hurries to another vehicle they have ready. They keep the gun.

Lito's worry bleeds through enough that Riley starts to get a little nervous, but he reassures her through the connection.

 _"From today I have taken many notes for my next action movie, Riley. It's okay. We will all be okay. Will... he will be okay."_ He's next to her for moment, eyes wide on the road ahead of them, hand tight on the 'oh shit' handle of the passenger side as he reassures her.

Riley feels oddly calmed by the actor and _his taking notes from the murder they've just committed_ , but life in the cluster is weird.

Later, later. Time for this later.

In the end she is safely away, Whispers is dead, and she's tucked up on a commercial flight that is on route to India. Kala will meet her in Mumbai and then she has flights that bounce around South Asia before getting to Berlin.

Sun is disappointed she didn't get to kick anyone's ass and is getting restless cooling her heels in jail. They might have to remedy that whole situation next.

Wolfgang is still avoiding Kala, and Kala is full of patience and forgiveness. And she's definitely... turned on? A brief flare of embarrassment comes through their connection. "Well, Wolfgang is very handsome and it is very... exciting when he is so determined and violent?" Riley can't help but smile at the woman's questioning statement and undeniable pull to the surly German thug.

Will is still unconscious, but soon they will wake him up.

Nomi is... Oh. Nomi is celebrating with Neets and summarily shuts Riley out. _"Emergencies only, please,"_ She sends to the group.

Lito is at ease and getting ready to go to a dinner with Daniela and Hernando, while Capheus is back driving Van Damme.

Of course, Riley isn't out of entirely out of danger yet, and the cluster isn't entirely safe. They just took down one (significant) cog in a very large machine and she's been on the run since Iceland and will be for a long time. But soon Will, with his very American determination and belief inrightness and freedom will be there and that blank space in the cluster (and maybe the one in her heart too) will be okay.

Together, they can do this. Together.


End file.
